Now Hear This Entertainment

<p>After no in-person gatherings last summer, 2020, or this past January, there certainly has to be some curiosity as to what things look like on the other side of a worldwide pandemic that kept people around the globe locked inside, including musicians who suddenly had no gigs, no venues to go to, and certainly a monumental challenge of "can I continue to sustain a career in this industry." Not to mention, with so many businesses impacted by what we all went through, how did they alter their operations to keep going.<br> In this special episode that features audio recorded on-location at the Summer NAMM Show in Nashville just under two weeks ago, views are presented on the state of the music recording industry, including insights from Joe Lamond, the President and CEO of the National Association of Music Merchants as well as guests that he welcomed on-stage during the opening session, representing manufacturers, merchants, etc., and you'll hear from an artist who gave his perspective on coming through the pandemic.</p>

<p>Award-winning songwriter, singer, producer, and musician based in New York who just released a new single last month after having put out a four-song EP in January. He has worked with GRAMMY, Tony, and Emmy-Award winning artists and winners of “The Voice.” He has performed in venues as varied as Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, MTV Unplugged, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, the United Nations, and The Bitter End. Plus, he has performed with artists spanning Florence + The Machine to Boyz II Men. He is also the founder of Vocal Artist House, which he talks about here, and was previously a guest on this show four years ago, back on Episode 181.</p>

<p>New York-based singer, songwriter, philanthropist, author, and GRAMMY member. She is a Billboard-charted artist and was also nominated for the Josie Music Awards for “Best Female Artist of the Year” for independent artists. Plus, she is an activist with a non-profit of hers that she talks about in this interview. Her official YouTube channel has a combined total of well over 850 thousand video views. And, one of her songs has more than 1.1 million streams and another has over 800 thousand on Spotify, where she has over 21 thousand monthly listeners. Her latest single was released in late February. She even tells here how she got the opportunity to do a commercial with Samsung, for which she was the creative director. She also details an opportunity she got to speak at Google (NYC).</p>

<p>They perform and record in Colorado as a duo called Take Two, having just released an album in the second half of April, with new songs already written towards a follow-up project. He is a pianist, composer, and vocalist who has created and released over 30 CDs of original music. And, he has been on this show before, well over three years ago on Episode 207. She is a composer, performer, and teacher, and is the owner and founder of Boulder Music and Reel Kids. All of her large scale musical compositions (some over 60 performers) were successfully and completely funded with grants, donations and commissions. And, it is said that she found that her niche in the composition world was to not have a “niche,” but rather never limit herself or others.</p>

<p>With a new album currently being mixed, he is a recording artist, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer who is also the founder and owner of the global company ECR Music Group. He is also an activist with iRespectMusic and was the guest on Episode 208 of this show. In the three-plus years since then there has been about 130 thousand miles of touring and about 15 records with as many artists. Billboard Magazine said he has, “a voice that was made to be heard on the radio… inspired songwriting and passionate performances.”</p>

<p>Singer, songwriter, guitar player who released an album earlier this year and recently scored his first #1 video on The Country Network. He has toured the United States, opening for headliners such as Lee Brice, Jamey Johnson, and Jerrod Niemann, among others. A song of his that featured Trace Adkins was awarded the 2019 Country Music Song of the Year at the Independent Music Awards in New York City. He also co-wrote another song that became used at the NFL’s Tennessee Titans’ home games as the “welcome” song to opposing teams. Plus, he and his band were selected from over ten thousand bands to compete in the Hard Rock worldwide “Battle of the Bands” competition in 2019, finishing as one of the twelve finalists from around the globe.</p>

<p>Composer, artist, and producer who does work with video game and media/entertainment companies. He has released dozens of albums of original production library music that have seen tens of thousands of placements since 2009. He’s a regular music contributor for the CBS Television show, “Let’s Make a Deal,” and last year was commissioned by the Marquee Sports Network to compose, arrange, and record the official theme for the Chicago Cubs. His YouTube channel has over 8,800 subscribers and a combined total of more than three-quarters-of-a-million video views.</p>

<p>Alabama-based singer, songwriter, guitar player who has put out two new singles this year and has more new music on the way. The pandemic being in the rearview mirror she is definitely back performing, with eleven live show dates in June and eleven more in July, with a booking even as far out as December already. On her recordings she has been working with two of the industry’s top songwriters and producers, who she names in this interview. She has performed at numerous venues and events, ranging from opening for Luke Combs, Easton Corbin, and Thompson Square, among others, to playing at BB King’s. She will also be hosting her first charity golf tournament real soon.</p>

<p>A recording artist with an amazing comeback story of perseverance and getting back up each time he has been knocked down throughout a music career that began in the late 1980s. Present day he is about to release a new album next week Friday – on June 11th – after having released the first single from it in mid-March. There is also a tour currently being planned for him. He’s also the author of a book called, “A Hit with a Bullet: A True Story of Corruption, Greed, and the Real Murder on Music Row.”</p>

<p>A music business entrepreneur, producer, engineer, multi-instrumentalist, performer, and educator. He's releasing his first solo album in September and is the founder of the record label Underground Sun and co-founder of Underground Sol record label. He writes, produces and engineers music for a wide range of artists across numerous genres, with his music having been heard in prime-time TV shows, multi-million dollar movies, and advertisements for Fortune 500 companies. He also hosts a monthly music-based live stream variety show and docu-series, and a Web series about music production and music business. He is the author of Producing in the Home Studio with Pro Tools (the first book about using Pro Tools) and has written other books, articles, and online courses for Berklee Online and Lynda.com (now LinkedIn Learning) about Pro Tools and music production. His passion for music and education has led him to become the Content Manager for Audio+Music for Lynda.com and LinkedIn.</p>

<p>A singer, songwriter, guitar player who just released a new single last month, after having put one out in mid-January. She appeared on Season 16 of “The Voice,” earning a spot on Team Kelly. Plus, she has opened up and shared the stage with some of the most respected country artists in the industry, from Tim McGraw to John Michael Montgomery and many more. She is also a proud ambassador of the S.O.S. Foundation, which she talks about in this interview. And, she began her career as part of a girl group that allowed her to perform for The Jacksons and Kelly Rowland.</p>

<p>A singer, songwriter, guitar player who has just released a new single – with a video for it on the way. She has made appearances on the American Music Awards and on NBC’s The Voice, along with being a brand ambassador for a handful of different brands, a couple of which she talks about here. She has performed on the main stage at the Texas State Fair, where she opened for Jason Aldean. At one point she was even the first unsigned artist to be featured in the Roland Studio Sessions (presented by the Roland Piano Company), performing with her full band. She has more new music planned for this year as well.</p>

<p>UK-based singer, songwriter, guitar player, and producer who has started a new artist project, under which he is now releasing music under the stage name Heckyl. The debut single under this new persona was released in late March and the next song comes out two days after this episode is released. In his previous solo work, he had put out a song whose video already has close to twelve thousand views on YouTube in just three months. And he co-wrote a song that another artist released last year, with presently more than 400 thousand streams on Spotify. He was previously a guest on this show more than five years ago, way back on Episode 98.</p>

<p>The founder of the Americana band the Happy Curmudgeons, he is a singer, songwriter, and guitar player. The band has over 1.5 million streams on Spotify and last year they won the W.A.M. (We Are The Music Makers) Music Award for Best Song in the Americana/Folk category. The rights to one of their songs were bought by Hallmark to use for one of their shows. The band is currently working on their next album, with a notable producer. In addition to there in Michigan, the Happy Curmudgeons have also been booked for shows in the likes of Ohio and Indiana. Their YouTube channel has 13 thousand subscribers and one video with almost 225 thousand views on it in approximately 18 months.</p>

<p>A singer/songwriter whose latest single came out at the end of February. She has been releasing music since 2014 and is releasing a five-song EP later this year. After growing up in Minnesota she moved to New York before relocating to Music City, although she has performed elsewhere too, including South By Southwest, CMA Fest, and the famed Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta. All this comes after having quite a career as a student-athlete and then working in sports!</p>

<p>She is a singer, songwriter, producer, and guitar player who has toured with four-time GRAMMY winner Gary Clark, Jr. She has gotten airplay on SiriusXM, performed with Carlos Santana, and accompanied Gwen Stefani for NBC’s New Year’s Eve special and “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” special. She also counts Ronnie Spector among her personal mentors. He is a drummer who has toured nationwide and internationally. Since the pandemic he has been the in-house drum tech AND has been playing on sessions at a studio in Connecticut. He also operates a home studio, is an educator, and last fall started his own shop, called Music Box Vintage.</p>

<p>Named “Best Solo Musician of 2019” by the Miami New Times, she is a singer, songwriter, guitar player, actor, and model who will be releasing a new album soon. Her background includes studying classical voice performance and pursuing a Broadway musical theater career before turning her focus to original rock and electronic music. In addition to her talents as a musician, she has honed her skills as a professional fire dancer and has even made appearances fire dancing in music videos for some notable names, including Pitbull.</p>

<p>A singer/songwriter who has just put out a new two-track release after having released two singles in the second half of last year, plus she is releasing a new album real soon. Based in the Los Angeles area, she has also launched her own record label. Soon after moving to L.A. after college she landed a blind audition on season three of NBC’s “The Voice.” She is also fierce advocate for female empowerment and is both a martial arts instructor and a surfer. In the case of the latter, it’s fitting to mention that she calls her genre of music Mermaid Pop.</p>

<p>A composer, producer, stage director, and performer with over 150 albums to his credit, spanning a 40-year career. He has a million-selling record to his credit, was nominated twice for a Tony Award on Broadway, and is a winner of the New York Theater Critics Drama Desk Award. He has had great success in film scoring, Broadway musicals, pop music, gospel, television, and he has even written ballets for the Joffrey Ballet. He even had a regular role on television on a daytime drama. Late last year he also launched a podcast, plus he is CEO and Co-Owner of Watchfire Music.</p>

<p>Minnesota-based singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist whose latest release was a seven-song album last September. Despite the pandemic, he has still been very active playing live shows, in 2021 alone including multiple dates in Wisconsin, North Dakota, and there in Minnesota, plus many more upcoming, including a booking as far out as early August already. Whether as a solo artist or with his band, he has routinely performed over 200 shows per year, including some of the top country music festivals in the U.S. Along the way they’ve performed at events that have also included the likes of Lee Brice, Ronnie Milsap, Jerrod Niemann, Easton Corbin, and more. Last year he and his band even started a tribute featuring the music of the legendary band Alabama.</p>

<p>A hockey player turned MMA fighter turned music performer. Relocated from Montreal to Nashville, he's a recording artist and guitar player who released a bunch of music in 2020 and has this year launched a bi-weekly live performance YouTube series that is getting a lot of attention, plus there's more new music on the way this year. In 2020, as an artist, he surpassed a combined one million streams across all streaming platforms. He has coined the term ‘country punk,’ for the sub-genre that he considers his music to fall in. He put out his sophomore EP this past November, with some notable Music Row songwriters working on that project.</p>

<p>A voting member of the Recording Academy, she is a is a singer, songwriter, guitar player who has performed at CMA Fest and is a Hollywood Music in Media award winner. She also was the Nashville Universe Awards 2018 “Rising Star” and, more recently, put out a brand new single at the end of January that got featured on both CMT and Spotify upon its release. Plus, she has more new music coming this year. Three music videos that she released from five to twelve months ago have each gotten from 4800 to 8800 views on her official YouTube channel. She has even performed at the Viper Room in Hollywood and at Opryland Resort in Nashville.</p>

<p>Toronto-based singer, songwriter, guitar & piano player, and producer who just received his first gold record. He has had many notable collaborations in addition to his own catalogue of music. He has also composed music for film projects and at one point in his career even was the front man for a rock band. He is currently recording new music, which will be released during 2021, and is also opening a new recording studio this year. He also spent four years living in Los Angeles.</p>

<p>Toronto-based singer/songwriter who has just released a new single and wants to work towards making a new EP or album this summer (2021). Her music has gotten more than 700 thousand streams on Spotify. In addition, the videos on her official YouTube channel have gotten a combined total of more than 1.4 million views. One of her songs won the InterContinental Music Award for “Best of North America Pop,” and, she was nominated for Best New Artist at the Niagara Music Awards. Some of her live appearances include a performance at Youth Day Global, a headlined performance at the 2020 Toronto Music Expo, and a featured panelist at the 2020 Canadian Music Expo.</p>

<p>He has been a musician his whole life and has DJ’ed professionally for 13 years. He currently runs No Ego Records, a label that helps musicians and content makers through cheaper licensing of their songs. Plus, he is the CEO of DropTrack, a platform that helps record labels, independent artists, and producers organize and promote their music.</p>

<p>The podcast takes an unplanned turn this week, as the host describes first-hand the experience that has taken place over the last six days. The show must go on, however this episode is not, unfortunately, what we're used to. Give it a listen nonetheless to see where things went and will go next, as well as some suggested related activity during this time, plus a very notable stat you might have missed if you didn't hear last week's episode.</p>

<p>An entertainment industry executive with a broad range of titles including award-winning songwriter, award-winning author, independent record label president, executive TV producer, entertainment consultant, former Senior VP of A&R for Dolly Parton's management company, and a serial entrepreneur. He has also secured record deal offers with CEOs from the largest music companies in the world, including Capitol Records, Sony, Interscope, Island / Def Jam, Epic, Atlantic, and RCA. He wrote a #1 Billboard hit and was even nominated for a Latin music award.</p>

<p>Singer, songwriter, guitar player who fronts a band called Whiskey Bent, which will celebrate its eleven-year anniversary in March. He was previously a guest on this show way back on Episode 118 in May 2016. Since that time, he and his band have opened for several national acts, including Jake Owen, Sawyer Brown, and Jimmie Allen. This spring and summer they are already booked for fairs and festivals that will see them on the bill with the likes of Luke Combs, Toby Keith, Diamond Rio, Trent Tomlinson, and more.</p>

<p>Based in Macedonia, a singer, songwriter, guitar, and piano player who three weeks ago released a music video that already has 664 THOUSAND views on YouTube. Her debut release was the feature of a premier in a prestigious UK music blog AND has been played on over 100 radio stations around the world. She has been recording new music with an eye toward releasing this year. Her music has been streamed nearly four million times on TikTok and the videos on her YouTube channel have gotten a combined total of more than one million views.</p>

<p>A singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist who is also an actor, producer, entrepreneur, and author. He has written and published one book, three scripts, seven albums, and more than a thousand songs. He has had a hit on the U.S. Billboard charts and a #1 on MTV’s Most Popular Music Videos. One of his songs is approaching a quarter of a million streams on Spotify. He has traveled to 40 countries and performed for thousands, and the videos on his official YouTube channel have gotten a combined total of well over two-and-a-half million views. He recently formed a new band and they have five new songs coming out in 2021.</p>

<p>A GRAMMY Award-winning producer and mixer, he engineered on Amy Winehouse’s number one “Back to Black” album and singles for Adele and Morrissey, among others. He also mixed Sting’s “Live at Durham Cathedral” and worked with The Police on the pre-production for their world tour. Based in the UK, he is also the founder of The Mix Consultancy, which is talked about during this interview.</p>

<p>An actress, singer, producer, and advocate who even has her own podcast. Late last month she released a holiday song, just two months after having put out a new album. She is extremely active with different humanitarian projects, as talked about here, including an initiative for the holidays. She even talks about giving 100 percent of her music profit to charity but also a unique way that she got her music out in conjunction with a sweepstakes. She has been on two daytime dramas as well as in movies seen on The Hallmark Channel.</p>

<p>Singer, songwriter, guitar player who just put out new music two months ago. He has also been working on more new music to be released next year. Despite the pandemic he has still been and is performing, including dates in Tennessee, Virginia, Florida, and Alabama. He had started off 2020 with shows in Texas, New Mexico, Minnesota, and Indiana. He has approximately 13 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify and previously appeared on this show in the summer of 2017, on Episode 183.</p>

<p>Internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter, producer, and actress who just last month released a holiday album that features a list of renowned collaborators with GRAMMY credentials. She has performed worldwide, from the Lincoln Center in New York all the way to Paris. Born and raised in Ireland, she has drawn praise from the New York Times, USA Today, the Huffington Post, and Billboard, among others. She also talks here about the destination recording studio she is a part of, plus, her interpretation of songbooks of varied artists ranging from Petula Clark to Barbra Streisand to U2.</p>

<p>An award-winning singer, songwriter, piano player who is in the midst of a new album release. She was mentored by GRAMMY Award winner Phil Ramone and has worked with a GRAMMY Award-winning producer. Her live shows have seen her perform not only in the U.S. from New York to L.A., but internationally too, including the Cannes Film Festival. She also composes and performs music for TV, movies, and video games. And, she has had multiple successful crowdfunding campaigns for album projects. She even has her own independent record label.</p>

<p>Western Canadian singer, songwriter, guitar player whose new album was just released last month. He has performed more than 500 live shows, touring from small clubs, to beautiful churches and alternative spaces, to some of the biggest concert halls in the world. His videos have gotten a combined total of more than a half-million views on his official YouTube channel, and he currently has more than 22 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify. His story ranges from dropping out of seminary school to overcoming addiction and depression.</p>

<p>Nashville-based singer, songwriter, guitar player who released two singles last month after having put out an album in April. She has also done work as a co-writer with a band that has gotten two nominations for Latin GRAMMYs. And for her own work, she is on the preliminary ballot in several categories. Last year she made her Grand Ole Opry debut, performing her own original songs. She has also made several appearances in television and film, and was first signed by Sony Music at age 16!</p>

<p>A sister duo with both singing, playing guitar, and writing their original 80s-electro-infused pop songs. They just released a brand new single, and a music video to go with it. They have recently become members of the Recording Academy and have been featured in publications such as Billboard and American Songwriter. Their music has garnered more than four-and-a-half million streams on Spotify and they have opened for Death Cab for Cutie, among others, and performed at South By Southwest, among other festivals. They also beat out over two thousand bands nationwide in Project: Aloft Star to win a tour with Aloft Hotels and a single track deal with Capitol Records. They had first gotten picked up by Sony BMG when they were just 16 years old.</p>

<p>Oklahoma-based singer, songwriter, guitar player who released a TWENTY song album at the beginning of September. He actually has two other releases on iTunes that have THIRTY songs each. He has worked on many films and TV shows, having just finished contributing music to the film "Sound of Freedom." He also does engineering and production and has partnered with TASCAM over the last couple years. (He also thanks Dan Wistrom, who played steel on both songs heard on this episode as well as much of the new album.)</p>

<p>Nashville-based singer, songwriter, guitar player who has just released a new single and a music video for it. She has now released five singles over the course of this year after having put out four in 2019. She has had over a quarter of a million combined streams just on Spotify and has more than 180 thousand followers across her social media platforms. She has appeared and performed at legendary venues and events including the famous Bluebird Café in Nashville as well as the CMA Music Festival. While she is actively pursuing her solo career, she also recently joined The Highway Women group. She is also very active as a spokesperson with The Jason Foundation.</p>

<p>A GRAMMY-recognized songwriter, music producer, and educator, plus he has even done TEDx talks on songwriting. He has built a catalog of over a thousand songs and has gotten cuts by major label artists across genres from country, pop, and jazz, to classical crossover. Last month he put out a new book called, “The Reason for the Rhymes: Mastering the Seven Essential Skills of Innovation by Learning to Write Songs.”</p>

<p>Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist who just released an album on October 2nd. She had also released an album early last year and put out an EP in 2016. She has gotten airplay on SiriusXM and has performed at notable venues and events around the country, from Las Vegas to the Bluebird Café in Nashville, songwriters festivals, and more. She is also the founder and president of the not-for-profit organization, “Bands of 30A.” And, she co-authored a children's book.</p>

<p>A Grammy-nominated songwriter who has just put out a new book, called, “Dreams, Love, and Music Lifestyle Revised: The Soundtrack of My Life,” which follows the book she had put out in 2015. Along with the book, she is also releasing an album of songs that correlate to the chapter titles. At the beginning of her career she signed with Mecca Don/Elektra Entertainment Group and eventually performed on Soul Train and Show Time at the Apollo. She has worked and collaborated with Sean Diddy Combs, among other notable names, including having collaborated on a Mary J. Blige song. In addition to performing, she also does vocal coaching.</p>

<p>She has held the distinction of the youngest headlining singer to perform on “The Strip” and has been praised by Robin Leach as “Las Vegas favorite.” Plus, she was among MyVEGAS Magazine’s “Top 100 Women of Influence in Las Vegas.” She has headlined multiple shows on the Las Vegas “Strip,” been a lead vocalist in the supper club inside the Bellagio, also runs a corporate band, and even owns her own vocal studio. In late 2018 she released an EP and is still signed to that record label. She also has overcome two extreme physical injuries and is deeply involved with a non-profit called Positively Arts.</p>

<p>Based in Las Vegas, a singer, dancer, actor, and the host of a daily podcast. He has performed in nine shows on the Las Vegas Strip, in addition to having performed in Australia, Italy, Germany, Canada, and New York City. Plus, he has sung as a featured soloist with renowned symphony orchestras. He has also been on radio and TV.</p>

<p>Melbourne, Australia-based singer/songwriter who is a classically trained vocalist that was born in India and studied in the United States. She released a new single last month and is releasing an EP this year. Plus, she released a new music video in July and has another one in the pipeline as well. She has performed at multiple venues in New York City, and, her music has gotten airplay on BBC Radio.</p>

<p>An acoustic duo who released a new single earlier this year, there might also be an EP from them before year's end. Between the two of them they have a number 1 song in Norway, film credits, and songs playing on radio stations all over the world. As a duo they have performed from South Carolina to as far west as California and even down in the Virgin Islands, among other locations. They are both classically trained musicians who each play more than one instrument, and, they live and tour in a converted sprinter van. Plus, they have done a video series documenting their traveling and performing.</p>

<p>Singer, songwriter, guitar and piano player who continues to perform with Grammy Award winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Billy Joel. At the beginning of June he released a new single and has a new album on the way. He was a guest on this show just over three-and-a-half years ago, back on Episode 150, and among his work since then has been a single that will be on his upcoming album that has a music video featuring actor Kevin James. He also continues to perform with his Billy Joel tribute band, called, Big Shot.</p>

<p>Singer, songwriter, dancer who just last month released a new single and a video to go with it featuring an acoustic performance of the song. Late last year she had put out a six-song EP. She is currently a nominee for four different awards in Creative Loafing’s 30th “Best of the Bay” awards. She was the guest on this show way back on Episode 67 and since then has continued to perform not only at various venues and events, but even on cruise ships!</p>

<p>Just last Friday she put out a double release, two singles. A singer, songwriter, guitar and piano player, she already this summer released music that drew praise from the likes of Billboard and Forbes. There is a full album coming next month and she has been busy this year with releasing singles. She had a tremendously successful Kickstarter campaign, which we talk about during this interview. She has more than ten thousand followers on Spotify, where she is currently getting more than 67 thousand monthly listeners. On July 31 she released a new lyric video, which got more than 1,300 views on YouTube in its first twelve days. She was the guest way back on Episode 14 of this show.</p>